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TOKYO – The organizing committee for the Tokyo Olympics has decided to close the games to foreign visitors over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, Nikkei learned on Tuesday.
The Japanese government had initially hoped to welcome around a million spectators on board to support local businesses that depend on tourism. However, as the spread of the virus continues around the world, the organizing committee has made the decision to close the games to overseas fans to ensure safety.
The decision will be made official before the torch relay begins in Fukushima Prefecture on March 25. The International Olympic Committee, however, has demanded that foreign sponsors and overseas Olympic committees be allowed to travel to watch the games and is in the midst of making arrangements to that end.
The Tokyo committee had discussions with representatives of the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee last week and agreed to make a decision in March on whether to allow foreign visitors, as well as decide on the maximum number of spectators. for each site by the end of April. .
COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, with countries like the UK having identified a more contagious variant of the disease which has now also spread to Japan.
Japan banned foreigners from entering the country in December. In January, the government was forced to end a business travel agreement with 11 countries and regions, including China and South Korea, as it extended its COVID-19 state of emergency to several prefectures .
Most developed countries have started to roll out their vaccines, but many of their poorest neighbors still struggle to get supplies and distribute vaccines. The organizing committee feared that allowing foreigners could contribute to a new outbreak of infections that could put pressure on Japanese hospitals and medical staff.
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